1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to electrical cable connectors. More particularly, the invention relates to connectors with an interconnection interface for cable connectors utilizing interlocking tab engagement with a reduced interconnection rotation requirement to achieve a rigid interconnection.
2. Description of Related Art
Coaxial cables are commonly utilized in RF communications systems. Coaxial cable connectors may be applied to terminate coaxial cables, for example, in communication systems requiring a high level of precision and reliability.
Connector interfaces provide a connect and disconnect functionality between a cable terminated with a connector bearing the desired connector interface and a corresponding connector with a mating connector interface mounted on an apparatus or a further cable. Prior coaxial connector interfaces typically utilize a retainer provided as a threaded coupling nut which draws the connector interface pair into secure electro-mechanical engagement as the coupling nut, rotatably retained upon one connector, is threaded upon the other connector.
Where connectors are mounted in high density/close proximity to one another and/or nearby obstructions, the connector may be visually obscured and/or rotating the coupling nut during threading to advance the mating portions of the connection interface may be frustrated by the adjacent objects and/or associated cables, requiring frequent resetting of the rotation tool, which increases the time and effort required to make an interconnection.
Passive Intermodulation Distortion (PIM) is a form of electrical interference/signal transmission degradation that may occur with less than symmetrical interconnections and/or as electro-mechanical interconnections shift or degrade over time, for example due to mechanical stress, vibration, thermal cycling, and/or material degradation. PIM is an important interconnection quality characteristic as PIM generated by a single low quality interconnection may degrade the electrical performance of an entire RF system.
Quick connection interfaces are known which require a short rotation to engage pins into slots or the like. For example, a BNC-type connection interface for coaxial cable utilizes a spring contact to provide one hand quick connect and disconnect functionality. The BNC-type connection interface standard includes dimensional specifications that are intended for small diameter cables. As such, a BNC-type connection interface is not designed to support larger diameter and/or heavier coaxial cables and/or may create an unacceptable impedance discontinuity when utilized with a larger diameter coaxial cable. Because of the presence of the spring contact in the BNC-type connection interface, the resulting interconnection is not rigid. Therefore, the BNC-type connection interface may introduce Passive Intermodulation Distortion (PIM) to the resulting interconnection.
Recent developments in RF coaxial connector design have focused upon reducing PIM by improving interconnections between the conductors of coaxial cables and the connector body and/or inner contact, for example by applying a molecular bond instead of an electro-mechanical interconnection, as disclosed in commonly owned US Patent Application Publication 2012/0129391, titled “Connector and Coaxial Cable with Molecular Bond Interconnection”, by Kendrick Van Swearingen and James P. Fleming, published on 24 May 2012 and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Competition in the cable connector market has focused attention on improving interconnection performance and long term reliability of the interconnection. Further, reduction of overall costs, including materials, training and installation costs, is a significant factor for commercial success.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide a coaxial connector and method of interconnection that overcomes deficiencies in the prior art.